A PARLIAMENTARY debate will be held on the future of the town's crisis-hit Alexandra Hospital tomorrow.

It follows MP Rachel Maclean’s calls last month for the configuration of hospital services in Worcestershire to be looked at again as a result of the £20.5billion cash boost for the NHS.

In July 2017, local health bosses rubber stamped plans to transfer emergency surgery, maternity and in-patient childrens services from the Alex to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital due to staff shortages and patient safety.

Two years later and Rachel believes this decision should be looked at again.

Redditch councillor Bill Hartnett, who chaired the borough council's cross party Health Commission which heard numerous evidence on the proposals, said: "I am not sure what she will be saying but I do hope that she continues on her journey along the “road to Damascus” on this issue, a journey started last month - falling in line what I and many others in Redditch have been saying for Years.

"If I were giving the speech I would be praising the staff who are working under very difficult circumstances with a chronic lack of investment and lack of funding.

"I would be referring to the Borough Council's cross party Health Commission which I chaired.

"It investigated, heard evidence from the CCG, the health Trust and the Public on the CCG proposals.

"The recommendations of the commission which were approved by the borough council came out firmly against the CCG proposals."

Cllr Hartnett added: "The Health commission pointed out the poor transport links to Worcester, the fear of losing services from the Alex, and questioned the viability of the trust.

"The CCG proposals were approved and the commission’s fears have been confirmed - we have not seen the promised £29 Million, we have not seen the investment in the Alex and the trust's deficit continues to rise.

"What we have seen is the removal of services and the trust failing to hit its targets and get out of special measures.

"I am of the opinion that the health trust is not viable; it has multi million pound deficit this year projected to be £79M, a deficit which continues year after year and seems to be only increasing in the absence of additional funds.

"The trust has had poor and inadequate ratings from the CQC, I would repeat what I have been saying for years that the trust should be disbanded and Redditch should join the Birmingham trust with its transport links and range of full services."